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Crews to be questioned before murder, kidnapping trial of boyfriend Hoehn

William Hoehn, who is charged with conspiring to murder Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, appeared in Cass County District Court with his attorney Daniel Borgen for a pre-trial conference Friday, Feb. 9, 2018, in Fargo.
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FARGO – It hasn’t been determined whether Brooke Crews, the admitted killer of a pregnant Fargo woman and abductor of her newborn, will testify at the trial of accused accomplice William Hoehn. But she at least will be sitting for a deposition to answer investigators’ questions, a prosecutor said Friday, Feb. 9.

A date has not been set for Crews’ deposition in the case of her boyfriend, Hoehn, said Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Younggren, who noted that the deposition won’t be public.

The deposition is a witness interview “more or less,” and where it will take place hasn’t been determined, Younggren said.

If Crews’ testimony is to be introduced into evidence, her deposition alone will not suffice. She will have to testify at Hoehn’s trial in Cass County District Court, Younggren said.

Hoehn and Crews were both charged in the August 2017 killing of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind and the kidnapping of her newborn.

Hoehn, 32, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and providing false information to police.

Crews, 38, pleaded guilty to the same three charges, and she was sentenced Friday, Feb. 2, to life in prison without parole on the conspiracy to commit murder charge.

Hoehn’s trial is on track to start May 15, according to information shared during a pretrial hearing held Friday, Feb. 9.

Younggren told Judge Tom Olson that toxicology results have not been obtained yet in the case, but that they should arrive in time for the defense to study that evidence before trial.

Hoehn attended the hearing, clad in a Cass County Jail orange sweatshirt, orange shirt and pants, and orange plastic sandals.

Younggren said after the hearing that he could not discuss any negotiations regarding a potential plea agreement in the case. Hoehn’s attorney, Daniel Borgen, said he typically does not comment on cases that are being litigated.

LaFontaine-Greywind was 22 years old and eight months pregnant when she was killed in August.

Crews told prosecutors that she lured LaFontaine-Greywind to her apartment and got involved in a struggle with LaFontaine-Greywind, who became unconscious. Crews then used a knife or some kind of blade to perform a C-section on LaFontaine-Greywind to take her child.

LaFontaine-Greywind died sometime after. Her body was found eight days later in the Red River. Her baby was found in the possession of Crews.